Road grading machine



Jan. 5, 1932, A. w. FRENCH 1,839,667

ROAD GRADING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ITufenG $4Alfivd Zffiezzci Jan. 5, 1932. A. w. FRENCH ROAD GRADING MACHINE 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 19, 1950 Jan. 5, 1932.

A. W. FRENCH ROAD GRADING MACHINE Fi led May 19, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3red I 9/]7'972 Patented Jan. 5, 1932 PATENT OFFICE -ALFRED W. FRENCH, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASS IGNOR TO BLAW-KNOX COMPANY, OF

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ROAD GRADINGLIACHINE Application filed May 19, 1930. Serial No.453,656.

Thisinvention has for its general object to provide a machine forgrading roadways preparatory to installing the side-forms thereof anddepositing paving-material such as Portland cement or bituminousconcrete upon the area bordered by said side-forms.

More specifically, the main Object of the invention is to provide agrading machine which is adapted to travel over aproposed paved highwayarea for effecting removalof surplus earth down to what is termed thefine-grade and simultaneously therewith,

' also provide flat plane surfaces'bordering the crowned middle fin'egrade area to receive the side-forms;

Heretofore, in the highway paving art, the practice has been first torun plows and harrows over the roadway to be paved for'the purpose ofremoving surplus earth to a level of approximately two inches above theultimate fine-grade; then to level off two narrow strips at the sides ofthe roadway down to ultimate fine grade; then to set side-forms in saidstrips and thereafter remove the balance of the surplus earth either byhand or by means of a machine, known as a fine-grading machine,traveling on the sald sideforms; this series of operations has beenquite expensive and, in some respects, very unsatisfactory, especiallyin regions where the earth is rather soft and the weight of thefine-grading machines used has caused the side-forms to sink into theground. This has necess tated resetting of the side-forms to the properlevel and also has caused the fine-gradeto be too low so that filling-inwas'required. I

A further objection to the use of the heavy fine-grading machinestraveling on the s deforms has been that such machines were re quired tobe removed to one side of the area in order to permit material carryingtrucks to pass the same.

The only alternative to this removal of the fine-grading machine hasbeen to operate the same after the conclusion of a days work to cut afine-grade somewhat longer than would be covered by pavement during thenext dayls work. In many instances, a d'ays paving covers a strip ofroad from fifteen hundred to two thousand feet long so that, forthe'advance work of the machine, the contractor was obliged to carry instock about four thousand or more lineal feet of side-forms.

Atthis date most of the fine-grading of road-ways is efi ected'by'handlabor so that amachine capable of performing the several functions ofrough-grading and fine-grading with respect to both the middle or crownportion of the roadway and the level strips to receive the side-forms,and which, additionally, removes the surplus earth to a point beyond oneof the side-forms, is obviously very desirable and this invention isdirected to provide a machine of this character.

A suitable embodiment of the invention, accompanying drawings,

is illustrated in the wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a roadwaygradr ing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same on the line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 isa rear elevation ofthe same;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view view of an earth cutting Themachine comprises asuitable frame work which may be convenientlyreferred to as the vehicle frame 1 which is suitably built up fromconventional structural steel elements such as I beams, channel-bars,angleirons, etc. 7 e

This 'frameis carried by a pair of caterpillar tractor assemblies 2, thewheels of which are suitably geared to the motive means carried bytheframe 1 and, which,

preferably, comprise two independently operable and controllableinternal combustion engines 3 and 4, said gearing may include controlclutch mechanism if desired, though the advantageincident to the use oftwo independent engines resides in part in the-elin ination of suchclutch mechanism.

At the front of the frame 1 there are provided two swinging frames "5and 6, each of which includes a hub-member 7 pivotally mounted on ashaft 8 of the frame 1 and a air of parallel arms equipped with twopairs of bearings 10 and 11, respectively, in which the shafts 12 and 13of the sprocket wheels 14 and 15 are ournallecb 'The said sprocketwheels 14 and 15' are arranged in pairs,'each pair thereof being rigidwith one of said shafts 12 and 13. l Suitable sprocket chains 16carryingseries of scraper bladesl7 are trained over said sprocket wheels' The.

shafts 12 carry driving sprocket wheels 18 fgeared by means of chains 19to sprocket "with a square socket 33 to receive the square wheels 20 onthe shafts 8 which are suitablyv geared to the respective engines 3 and4.

k One of the arms of each frame 5 and 6 is suitably equipped with athreaded sleeve 21 in which the't-hreadedlower end of a screw shaft 22engages, said screw-shaft being suitably journallejd in a; bearing: onthe frame 1 and held against longitudinal movement by means of thecollars 24. SMClSCIGW 28,1 the outerends of said arms of each set ofsaid shafts 27 being pivotally connected with a bar 29, there being oneof said bars for each set of said shafts. Each of said bars is pivotallyconnected between, its ends with a pit-man- 30 which associates said barwith the crank-pin of adisk 31 mounted upon the upper end of a verticalshaft 32 journalled in a bearing on a frame member. The respective'shafts 32 are-suitably geared to the respective motors 3 and 4.

The lower end of each shaft 27 is equipped end of the shank of an earthcutting blade 34, to which it is secured by means of a set screw 35. Thesaid-earth cutting blades are arranged with their pointed ends forwardwith respect to'the normal direction of travel of the machine. Suitablemeans are-provided for adjusting contiguous shoes with respecttorelative elevation so that as they rock during forward travel of themachine,

' they will undercut surplus earth disposed in the roadwaysubstantially'in the planeof the V ultimate crown of the fine-grade; Inthe instance illustrated, this adjustment is effectedfby makingthejsquare end, portions of the vshafts27 sufficiently long to permitthe several shoes to be disposedat various elevations, the length ofthehubs of-said blades being such as to permit all shafts 27 to have theirlower ends disposed sufliciently high to clear the fine-grade plane.

At the rear end of the vehicle frame is an earth conveyor mechanismwhich is adapted to move the earth loosened by the cutting blades to oneside of the path of travel of the machine and WlllChfllSOfLlIlCtlOIlS tocorrect inaccuracies in the fine-grade due to the slight differences inelevation of said cutting blades. e V

' This conveyor mechanism comprises three pairs of sprocket wheels36,37, and 38 rigid with shafts journalled in bearings mounted ontheframe and upon the brackets 39 at one side of the frame 1. The'bearingsfor the shafts of the sprocket wheels 36 and 37 are-disposed above theends of a pair of opposed channelbars 40 disposed below and carriedby-the vehicle frame 1, said channel bars beingpurv'ed to "coincide withthe'crown of the ultimate fine-grade of the roadway.

The sprocket wheels 38 are disposed appreciably outwardly of the path oftravel of one of the caterpillar tractor assemblies. 7 Sprocket chains41, the links of'which carry scraper blades 42 are trained over thesprocket wheels 36, 37, and 38; Said links are pivotally associated witheach other by means of shafts 43 which project beyond theouter sidefaces of said links and are equipped on their projecting .end portionswith-rollers 44 of diameter slightly but not appreciably less than thewidth of the spaces between the flanges of the said channel bars 40,said rollers 44 being disposed in the grooves defined by said flangesand riding upon the latter.

A driving sprocket wheel 45 is rigid with the shaft of the sprocketwheels 38 andis geared by means of they sprocket chain 46 with thesprocket pinion 47 on a shaft 48 suitably geared to one of the enginesof the vehicle frame. v

The machine is operated as follows:

.As the survey determining the ultimate desired'fine-grade plane of aproposed paved highway is being effected, stakes are driven into theground at substantially regular intervals in parallel rows uponoppositesides of and equidistant from the middle of said proposed highway. 7So-cal1ed chalk-lines are secured to the stakes at a predetermined as.for example, one foot above the same.

,The' fine-grade is then cut one foot lower. than the plane ofthe chalklines on opposite,

, ,The'vhand-wheel operators maintain the scraper assemblies '17 so asto cut gradesat elevation above thedesired fine-grade plane the sides ofthe roadway twelve inches (in this exemplary instance) below the levelindicated by the said chalk lines and as these grades lie in the path oftravel of the caterpillar tractor'assemblies, the scraper assem bliesobviously function to determine the plane of operation of the earthconveyor mechanism at the rear end of the machine.

Obviousl if the surplus earth constitutes a deep layer above theultimate fine-grade, the machine may be passed over the same areaseveral times to gradually cut away and remove this earth.

The speedof travel of the machine will be necessary that one of thecaterpillar'tractor.

assemblies be raised sufficiently higher than the other thereof to causethe cutting blades to clear the earth, and for this purpose one of saidtractors will preferably be caused to run on suitable raised planking.

The machine is also well adapted to be run upon a carrier truck ortrailer under its own power for purposes of removal from one job toanother, this being very desirable because of the high cost of otherwisemanually hoist ing a very heavy machine upon such a carrier. Theaccompanying drawings are more or less diagrammatic in character as theylack illustration of numerous essential structural details requisite forstrength but these are readily supplied by engineering or mechanicalskill and form no part of the invention. 7 I claim as my invention l. Agrading machine comprising a vehicle frame equipped at opposite sideswith traction means, an engine for each traction means mounted on thevehicle frame, each of said engines operable independently of the other,power actuated mechanisms disposed in front of each of said tractionmeans for cutting a path of travel therefor, and power actuated earthcutting means disposed between said traction means for cutting awaysurface earth above a predetermined grade.

2. A grading machine comprising a vehicl-e frame equipped at oppositesides with traction means, an engine for each traction means mounted onthe vehicle frame, each of said engines operable independently of theother, power actuated mechanisms disposed in front of each of saidtraction means for cutting a path of travel therefor, and power actuatedearth cutting means disposed between said traction means for cuttingaway surface earth above apredetermlned grade,

the said grade being determined by said mechanisms. I

8.,A grading machine comprising a vehicle frame equipped at oppositesides with traction means, an engine for each traction means mounted onthe vehicle frame, each of said engines operable independently of theother, power actuated mechanisms disposed infront of each of saidtraction means for cutting a path of travel therefor, means for.manually vertically adjusting said mechanisms, and power actuated earthcutting means disposed between said traction means for cutting awaysurface earth above a predetermined grade.

4. A grading machine comprising a vehicle frame equipped at oppositesides with traction means, an engine for each traction means mountedonthe vehicle frame, eachof said engines operable independently of theother, earth cutting means interposed between said traction means andarranged to cut away earth disposed above the level of a planedetermined by said traction means, and earth scraping and conveyingmeans disposed rearwardly ,Of1saidearth cuttingmeans for cooperationwith the latter to produce a cleared predetermined grade. a 5. A gradingmachine including a vehicle having independently operable traction meansat opposite sides, an engine for each of said'traction means, and earthcutting and conveying mechanisms disposed in front of said respectivetraction meansand geared to the respective, engines for cutting paths 1of travel for said traction means.

6. A grading machine including a vehicle having independently operabletract-ion means at opposite sides, an engine foreach- 8% of saidtraction means, and'manually vertically adjustable earth cutting andconveying mechanisms disposed in front, of said re' spective tractionmeans and geared to the respective engines for cutting paths of travel15,}

for said traction means.

7. A grading machine including a vehicle having independently operabletraction means at opposite sides, an engine for each of said tractionmeans, and earth cuttingand conveying mechanisms disposed in frontofsaid respective traction means and geared to; the respective engines forcutting paths of travel for said traction means, and means for manuallyvertically adjusting said respective mechanisms during travel of saidvehicle.

8. A grading machineincluding a vehicle having independently operabletraction means at opposite sides, an engine for each of said tractionmeans, and earth cutting and, conveying mechanisms disposed in front ofsaid respectivetraction means and geared to the respective engines forcutting paths of travel for said traction means,and means for manuallyvertically adjusting said respective 153 mechanisms independently ofeach other during travel of said vehicle.

9. A grading machine including a' vehicle equipped at opposite sideswith power actul 'ated traction means operable independently of eachother, an earth cutting and conveying mechanism disposed in front ofeach of said mechanisms for cutting paths of travel thereforconstituting grades upon which the sideforms of the area bordered bysaid paths are adapted to be mounted, and earth cutting and equipped atopposite sides with power actuated traction means operable independentlyof each other, an earth cutting and conveying mechanism dlsposed infront of'each of said mechanisms for cutting paths of travel thereforconstituting grades upon which the side-forms of the area bordered bysaid paths are adapted to be mounted,

means for manually vertically adjusting said mechanisms during travelofthe vehicle, and earth cutting and conveylng mechanism disposedrearwardly of said first-named mechanism for clearing away earth betweensaid 7 paths down to a grade determined by said path cuttingmecha-nisms.T w

11. A grading machine including a vehicle frame provided at oppositesides with independently operable caterpillar tractor mechanisms havingtheir treads disposed in a common plane, motive means for said.

mechanisms mounted on said frame and manually controllable to actuatethe said mechanisms at the same or difierent speeds,

earth removing means disposed in front of and rearwardly'of theforwardends of said mechanisms and manually controllable dur-' ingtravel of the vehicle for cooperation with said mechanisms to produce agrade of' greater Width than thevehicle frame and in a predeterminedplane. 3

A grading machine including a vehicle ffra'me eeuipped .at oppositesides with traction' means having treads arranged in a commonplane,motive means on said frame geared to said traction means, a series ofearth cutting members arranged in substantially the plane of theultimategr'ade and geared to said motive means, earth conveying andgrade scraping means arranged behind said cutting means and having apath of travel transverse ly of the ultimategrade, and gearing betweensaid conveying means and said motive means.

13. A grading machine including a vehicle frame equipped at oppositesides with traction means having treads arranged in a common plane,motive means on said frame geared to said traction means, a series ofearth cutting members arranged in substantially the plane of theultimate grade andgeared to said motive means, earth conveying and gradescraping meansarranged behind said cutting means and having apath'oftravel transversely of the ultimate grade and of greater length than thezone of action of said cutting means, and gearing between said conveyingmeans and said motive means.

14. A gradingmachine comprising a vehicle frame equipped at oppositesides with traction means, motive means on said frame geared to saidtraction means, earth scraping and conveying mechanisms arranged infront of and manually operable to be raised and lowered with respect tothe plane of the treads ofsaid traction means for cutting paths oftravel for the latter and coacting herewith to determine the grade ofthe area between said traction means, earth cutting mechanism spanningthe space between said traction means for cutting the grade determinedby the latter and said first-named mechanisms, and earth scraping andconveying mechanism arranged behind said cutting mechanism and having apath of travel of greater length "than the width of grade cut by saidcutting mechanism,-and gearing operatively associating saidseveralmechanisrns with said motive means.

15. A grading machine comprising a mhicle frame equipped at oppositesides with traction means, motive means on said frame geared to saidtraction means, earth scraping and conveying mechanisms arranged infront of and manually operable to be raised and lowered with respect tothe plane of the treads of said traction means for cutting paths oftravel for the latter and coasting therewith todetermine the grade ofthe area between said traction means, swing-frames pivotally secured tosaid vehicle frame at one each and carrying said mechanisms at theirother ends, a series of vertical. rock-shafts journalled in bearings onthe vehicle frame between said traction means, an earth cutting blademounted upon the lower end of each of said vertical shafts, reciprocablemeans operatively associated with said shafts and said motive means forrocking'said shafts during travel of the vehicle, earth scraping and conveying means arranged for travel transversely of the grade arrangedbehind saidseries of shafts, and means operatively associating saidseveral mechanisms with said motive means. i

16. A grading machine comprising a toactuate each of the latterindependently z of the other, earth cutting means geared tosaid motivemeans and arranged to cut the grade in thearea spanned by said. framedur- 1ng travel of the latter, mechanisms geared to -v i l I 1 saidmotive means and disposed 1n front of lib said traction means forproviding paths of stantially the grade cut by said earth cutting travelfor the latter, manually operable means for raising and lowering saidmechanisms relatively to the plane of the treads of said traction meansthereby to determine the plane of travel of the latter and the grade cutby said earth cutting means, and means geared to said motive means forconveying earth cut away by said means to one side of the road duringtravel of said vehicle.

17. A grading machine comprising a vehicle frame adapted to span an areato be graded and equipped at opposite sides with traction means, motivemeans on said frame geared to said traction means and operable toactuate each ofthe latterindependently of the other, earth cutting meansgeared to sad motive means and arranged to cut the grade in the areaspanned by said frame during travel of the latter, mechanisms geared tosaid motive means and disposed in front of said traction means forproviding paths of travel for the latter, manually operable means forraising and lowering said mechanisms relatively to the plane of thetreads of said traction means thereby to determine the plane of travelof the latter and the grade cut by said earth cutting means, and gradescraping and earth conveying means geared to said motive means andhaving a lateral path of travel greater than the grade cut by said earthcutting means arranged at the rear end of said vehicle frame forremoving earth to one side of the graded area.

18. A grading machine comprising a vehicle frame adapted to span an areato be graded and equipped at opposite sides with caterpillar tractorassemblies, motive means on said frame geared to said assemblies andcontrollable to operate each thereof independently of the other, earthcutting means geared to said motive means and arranged to cut the gradein the area spanned by said frame during travel of the latter,mechanisms geared to said motive means and disposed in front of saidtraction means for providing paths of travel for the latter and eachcomprising a pair of sprocket wheels means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set and clutch assemblies equippedwith outwardly extending blades, frame members carrying said last-namedassemblies mounted on the vehicle frame for up and down ad justmentrelatively thereto, manually operable means associated with said carrierand vehicle frames for raising and lowering said mechanisms forcooperation with said tractor assemblies to determine the grade cut bysaid cutting means, and a sprocket wheel and chain assembly providedwith outwardly extending scraping and conveying blades arranged at therear end of said vehicle frame and geared to said motive means, saidassembly including guide members for causing the outer edges of saidblades to travel in sub-

